


Things We Can Ill Afford to Lose

by astralkyouki



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Romance, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Love Confessions, Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:00:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27010000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astralkyouki/pseuds/astralkyouki
Summary: What if the Crystal Exarch had revealed his true identity to the Warrior of Light at an earlier point? Two friends discover that the connection they share is stronger than they had initially thought. Takes place during and after the quest "A Breath of Respite" and contains 5.0 spoilers.
Relationships: G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch & Original Character(s), G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch & Warrior of Light, G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Original Character(s), G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Warrior of Light
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

The sea of light above shone brightly as ever, casting shadows on everything below that stretched across the barren landscape. Yuki sat side-by-side with the Crystal Exarch, their backs to a giant boulder as they stared across the edge of a cliff a few yalms in front of them. From where they were, they could see all of southern Kholusia.

The Exarch's voice broke the brief moment of silence that had fallen between them, "Tell me, when all of this is over, what will you do?"

Yuki smiled and craned her head back to look up at the sky, "I think I might rest awhile. It's been a long journey."

The Exarch followed her gaze upward, smiling as well, "That would be well deserved. You might consider roaming Norvrandt not as her savior, but as a simple sightseer. Viewed through such eyes, I am certain she would seem quite different."

The white-haired Miqo'te chuckled, "Maybe so, but I wouldn't want to do it alone."

"Oh? Then who would you travel with? The Scions, I'm guessing?" he asked, turning to gaze at her. 

"Well yes, of course. But there's a certain someone I'd like to come along with us. He deserves rest just as much as I do," Yuki replied, meeting the Exarch's gaze.

"Who, me?" he asked incredulously.

Yuki nodded.

"I would love that. Truly," He sat there for a moment, still smiling at her.

"And what of you?" Yuki asked, "Now that I've shared my plans with you, I think I deserve to hear yours."

The Exarch paused briefly before answering, "I once told you that there are things we can ill afford to lose. 'Things,' I said, though in truth I spoke of a person. One who is unaware of the full extent of my plans. Though she deserves to know, I have good reason to keep my counsel. I have come to terms with this in my mind, yet my heart yearns to lay everything bare. For she is my inspiration, and I would give much and more for the chance to speak with her with no thought of concealment."

Yuki felt her stomach drop. _So he has someone already,_ she guessed, but immediately chastised herself. _No, Yuki. Put your own feelings aside. His happiness is what matters, and if some other woman has brought him that, all the better._

"Should she indulge me with her tales," the Exarch continued, "I would regale her with my own - about my efforts in Norvrandt, perhaps. Though...ultimately, that tale is more yours than it is mine," he admitted.

Yuki smiled, albeit in a somewhat forced manner.

"Then...I would ask her about her next adventure. And if she should wish me to be a part of it, oh...how happy it would make me. Together, we would travel the lands and cross the seas and take to the skies upon the eternal wind...My heart swells simply to imagine it."

The Miqo'te's gaze softened as she spoke, "Sometimes it's best to listen to your heart. While I understand you have your reasons for concealing the truth, you may one day come to regret not telling her. Life is brief and precious, and it's alright to revel in the present so long as you keep it in balance with the future."

The Crystal Exarch appeared thoughtful, "I suppose you have a point..."

A long moment of silence passed between them. Little did Yuki notice just how tense the Exarch had suddenly become.

"Yuki..." he began, turning to face her once again. His mouth hung slightly open as if failing to grasp the right words, "Promise that you'll trust me, alright? No matter what may happen."

Yuki placed one hand on top of his reassuringly, "When have I _not_ trusted you?" Her eyes searched desperately for his in spite of the hood concealing most of his features.

The Exarch placed his free hand on top of hers, enclosing it between both of his own. "What if I were to tell you that...that the woman I speak of is you?"

The Miqo'te's jaw dropped open in utter disbelief. "M-me? Surely you jest..."

The Exarch shook his head. "From the moment I met you, I knew you were someone special. Someone I wanted to follow for the rest of my days. And I promise that I will continue to do that till I take my last breath."

Yuki continued to stare at him in shock for a moment or two, but a smile soon crept upon her face, "And to think you have yet to tell me your real name..." she teased him.

The Exarch looked away slightly, almost forgetting that the hood of his cloak protected her from seeing just how red his face had turned. He returned his gaze to her, staring at her intently. "You must promise to keep the secret I am about to reveal between the two of us. No one but you may know my true identity." With that, the Exarch pulled the hood off and away from his face. Two red feline ears sprung out from underneath, and a full head of red hair tipped with white glistened in the light beaming down on them. Bright, crimson eyes gazed at her, gleaming with earnestness and hope. The man smiled once more. "Forgive me for hiding this from you for so long, but you are right - you deserve to know."

The Miqo'te's jaw dropped open once more, "G-G'raha Tia?" she stammered. Without hesitation, she leaned forward and pulled him into a tight hug, "Truly, it is you! I thought I would never see you again!" She could feel her eyes brimming with tears of joy and relief.

G'raha let out a small yelp of surprise, but seconds later his tenseness disappeared and he found himself wrapping his arms around her. He rested his chin on her shoulder. The two held one another close for several moments before the Exarch broke the silence, "To think that I have not only been reunited with you, but that I can finally lay bare to you who I truly am...it fills my heart with joy." He pulled away from the hug just enough to gaze into the Miqo'te's eyes, "I...I don't know if I've ever experienced this feeling before..." he admitted. His face had turned crimson again, and he averted his gaze from hers bashfully.

Yuki reached over to cup his cheek in the palm of her hand, gently encouraging him to meet her gaze once more. The Exarch obeyed, his red irises gleaming with affection and joy as a timid smile played about his lips.

"I feel the same way, G'raha. I may have only considered you a dear friend back in the Source, but ever since I first beheld you here in Norvrandt, I could feel something tugging at my heart. Now that we have journeyed so far together and have revealed our true feelings, I daresay that what started as a hint of a feeling has blossomed into love."

A few tears escaped the Exarch's eyes and rolled down his cheeks, but he was quick to wipe them away, "Worry not, my dear, for these are tears of joy," he reassured her in a soft voice, "Let us enjoy each other's company to the fullest extent."

The two of them continued to gaze endearingly at one another for several moments longer until, slowly, they inched even closer to one another. Their eyes gradually fluttered shut, their lips finally finding purchase. The kiss was soft and chaste, their mouths lingering on one another for several moments before parting and then coming together again. Slowly, the interval between each kiss grew briefer and briefer, and soon a spark ignited something deep within them. A yearning for one another neither of them knew had existed.

Yuki felt the tip of the Exarch's tongue prodding at her bottom lip. She happily granted him entrance, and in response his embrace around her grew tighter. Desperate, almost. The Exarch pulled Yuki onto his lap so that she was straddling him, his tongue exploring every corner of her mouth. She fought back, attempting to gain control with her own tongue and pushing into his mouth this time. A soft moan of contentment escaped him, muffled though it was by their kiss.

Yuki suddenly felt a bit devilish and decided to rock her hips against his, eliciting a much louder moan from him. She repeated the action, feeling the bulge that had grown underneath her twitch. The two broke away from the kiss to stare lustfully into one another's eyes. A string of saliva stretched between their mouths and finally broke.

"Why do you tease me so?" G'raha breathed.

"Do you want more of me?" she asked in a sultry tone, taking the opportunity to entwine her fingers with his.

"Yes. I need you, Yuki."

"Then let us take this somewhere more private," she suggested.

G'raha nodded in agreement, a playful grin lighting up his features, and the two of them got up from where they had been sitting. The Exarch looked down at the bulge that had become visible from beneath his robe, blushing in embarrassment, "Let us hope no one sees this. I know of just the place we can retire to," he remarked.

Yuki nodded, smiling back at him. His hand finding hers again, the Exarch led her towards Amity.

• • •

As they approached Amity, the Exarch paused in his stride to let go of Yuki's hand, "My apologies, but we wouldn't want to draw any wandering eyes, now would we?" he explained in a hushed tone.

Yuki nodded in understanding.

"Which reminds me..." he added, quickly pulling the hood of his cloak back up to conceal his features.

The Exarch gestured for her to follow him. Thankfully, it was around dinnertime, so almost everyone was indoors, save for a few individuals standing idly about. One or two people waved to them, and the Exarch returned their greetings warmly before pressing on. He led them to a shack that was set apart slightly from the rest of the settlement, and the two ascended the small set of stairs leading up to the porch. G'raha opened the door, gesturing inside, "After you, my dear."

Yuki blushed slightly at his unexpected gallantry and stepped inside. The interior was cozy despite the ramshackle nature of the building. A small fire crackled in a hearth embedded in the wall opposite them, and a table and chairs sat off to the left side of the room. To the right, a small bed was nestled against the wall under a window. G'raha gently led Yuki towards the bed, briefly letting go of her hand to reach up and close the window's shutters. He then returned his full attention to her, removing his hood and taking both of her hands in his once more. "Now, where were we?" he asked, smiling.

Yuki smiled back at him and the two slowly leaned into each other, lips grazing together at a tantalizingly soft pace. Each of them wanted to savor every second they had together, and they felt their fears and doubts begin to melt away. Their arms wrapped around one another in a tender embrace, and G'raha's hands began to wander down the Miqo'te's sides until they came to rest on her hips. Gently, he nudged her hips forward, eliciting a breathy moan from her.

The Exarch pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly to gaze into Yuki's eyes, clouded over as they were with desire. He felt something in him burst forth, like a dam breaking, and he lost any ounce of restraint he had left. His lips crashed into hers desperately, hungrily, and he lifted her off the ground, carrying her over to the bed before pushing her down onto it. He straddled her, pinning her hands above her head as he kissed her fervently. G'raha trailed sweet kisses from the corner of her mouth to along her jaw and then slowly down her neck.

Yuki inhaled sharply in response, her arms wrapping around him and pulling him closer, her hands gripping at his back. She tugged desperately at the fabric of his robes, trying but failing to pull the garment off of him.

"Here, let me help you with that," he whispered, lifting himself off of the Miqo'te just enough to pull the robe up and over his head, revealing a surprisingly toned chest. He now hovered over her in nothing but his smallclothes.

The Miqo'te wasted no time in trailing her hands down his chest, admiring every inch of his body. She smiled up at him, moving one hand to the back of his head and pulling him into another kiss. This elicited a sigh of contentment from him as his muscles relaxed and he allowed himself to lay on top of her, being careful all the while not to crush her under his weight.

This time, Yuki was the one to request access to his mouth, playfully running her tongue along his bottom lip. The Exarch hummed in response, parting his lips to let her in. Their tongues danced about as the flame of passion from earlier reignited. Even as their lips separated, their tongues continued to twirl around one another in a battle for dominance until one kiss was renewed with another.

The Exarch resumed his previous ministrations, trailing his lips along the Miqo'te's jawline and then down her neck. Here he paused briefly, nibbling at the region where her neck met her shoulder. Yuki groaned in pleasure, causing him to smirk to himself, "Enjoying yourself, are you?" he teased in a sultry tone. Yuki nodded, entangling her fingers in his hair as he continued to tease the sweet spot he had found with such ease.

Content with his work so far, the Exarch slowly began to pepper kisses further down until he reached the upper edge of her leather armor. His hands probed around until they found the buckles keeping everything together, his fingers working deftly to loosen them. After some work, the garment loosened around Yuki and the Exarch was able to cast it off to the side until she, too, was in her smallclothes. G'raha took a moment to smile tenderly down at her, reveling in the sight of her body all the while. This caused her to whine at the sudden absence of his touch. "Come now," he crooned, "We have all evening."

"Please, G'raha. I need you," she breathed.

The Exarch gave a low chuckle before entwining his fingers with hers, once again pinning her hand to the bed. "As you wish, my love," he purred. He resumed his trail of kisses, pausing at the hem of her bra to remove the offending garment and tossing it aside just as he had done with her armor. Yuki's breasts now lay exposed, and the Exarch wasted no time in giving them the attention he thought they deserved. His mouth went to one breast, his tongue swirling around her nipple. Another moan escaped Yuki's lips and she gripped at the bedsheet with her free hand. G'raha fondled her other breast as he continued to tease her nipple with his tongue, rolling her other nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

"A-ahh!" Yuki hissed.

G'raha switched so that now the nipple he had been fondling was receiving the attention of his mouth, and vice versa. Yuki squirmed beneath his touch, lost in a daze of pleasure. The Exarch continued his ministrations for several moments before slowly moving further down. His lips grazed across the flesh of her abdomen, seeming to leave a fire in their wake. Each point of contact between his lips and her body was like a zap of electricity that awakened her senses to a peak.

He eventually reached the hem of her underwear, and his fingers hooked underneath it. "Is this alright, love?" he asked, looking up at her with those same eyes full of affection and earnestness.

Yuki nodded, smiling down at him and stroking his hair. In response, G'raha tugged her underwear down and off her legs with relative ease. The Miqo'te spread her legs just enough for her lover to nestle in between them. The Exarch began by peppering her inner thighs one by one with kisses, eliciting a deep groan of pleasure from her. He continued this, moving from one thigh to another for a long time, teasing her until she could take it no longer.

"You torture me," she moaned, her grip on his head tightening.

"Very well. If it is release you so desperately seek, I shall provide," the Exarch hummed. He turned his attention to her core, dipping his tongue between her folds, "You taste exquisite, my dear," he whispered between licks. He slid a finger into her, causing her to gasp in pleasure as he curled it upwards. G'raha then made his way up to her clit, prodding it relentlessly with the tip of his tongue and gently sucking on it every so often. Yuki's entire body quivered and her grip on the bedsheets tightened, her other hand pulling him even closer into her. Her moans increased in pitch and volume until she reached her peak, her back arching and entire body tensing up as she rode through each wave of pleasure. The Exarch continued his ministrations all the while, savoring her taste as she gradually came down from her climax. The Miqo'te collapsed back onto the bed, spent.

"That...was...amazing..." she panted.

G'raha moved further up onto the bed and repositioned himself so that he was lying next to her, gently pulling the Miqo'te into an embrace so that her head was resting against his chest. "I'm glad," he purred, planting a tender kiss on her forehead.

"Oh, but we aren't done yet," Yuki stated, and with that she rolled herself on top of him, pinning his hands down to the bed as he had done to her earlier. The Exarch stared at her in surprise, and she grinned down at him devilishly.

Yuki trailed kisses down his chest, causing a small moan to escape his lips. His fingers tangled in her hair, his other hand gripping the bedsheet. The Miqo'te paused at the hem of his underwear and, as he had done with her, looked up at him waiting for permission to go further. G'raha met her gaze and nodded, biting his lower lip in anticipation. Yuki tugged the garment down and off of him, and his fully erect cock sprung out from underneath. She wasted no time at all in pleasuring him, starting off by kissing all the way up his shaft from the base. Reaching the tip, the Miqo'te swirled her tongue around it, eliciting a loud moan from him and causing his grip on the bedsheets to tighten. Pleased with what she was hearing, Yuki continued, taking the head of his cock into her mouth and slowly pushing down until, inch by inch, her mouth engulfed the entirety of his length.

"Oh, blessed night!" he cried out, his grip on her head tightening.

Yuki began to bob her head up and down slowly, creating a sucking sensation by hollowing out her cheeks. She ran her tongue up and down his member as she continued her up-and-down motion, making sure to take all of him in her.

The Exarch suddenly stopped her, moving his hand from her hair to grip her shoulder. "I-it feels too good!" he panted, "I won't be able to last much longer."

Yuki let him slide out of her mouth and gazed up at him in curiosity. "Oh? And how would you like to finish instead?"

G'raha smiled down at her bashfully, "Let us truly become one, my love," he answered softly.

Yuki beamed up at him, moving further up so that she was straddling him and their faces were inches apart. She kissed him tenderly before gazing deeply into his eyes. "I thought you would never ask," she whispered.

With that, the Miqo'te guided her into him, the head of his cock slipping between her folds. Slowly, she took him further and further into her, causing him to hiss in pleasure. His hands gripped her sides, and once all of him was inside her, she began to move slowly. She eventually found a rhythm and began to ride him in earnest, moaning each time the head of his cock hit her deepest area. The Exarch's nails dug into her flesh and his eyes rolled back into his head, a sight Yuki rather enjoyed to see.

To the Miqo'te's surprise, G'raha suddenly flipped the two of them over so that he was pinning her down. He began to thrust at an angle that hit Yuki in just the right way, causing her mind to go blank from sheer ecstasy.

"G'raha! G'raha!" she cried out, and her entire body shuddered as she reached her second climax.

Hearing his name coming from her like that caused something in the Exarch to unravel, and his thrusts became erratic. "Yuki, I'm- I'm- ah!" he shouted, and he held on to her for dear life as he shot load after load into her.

The two of them panted heavily, holding each other in a gentle embrace. After pulling out of her, the Exarch kissed her forehead once more. "I love you, Yuki," he said, his soft voice like waves gently lapping at a shore.

"I love you too, G'raha," she answered, and without her realizing it, warm tears began to roll down her cheeks, "I love you so much!"

"Shhh," the Exarch soothed her, "There is no need to cry." He gently wiped away her tears with his thumb.

Yuki shook her head, "Worry not, my dear, for these are tears of joy," she quoted him.

The Exarch gave a low chuckle and smiled lovingly down at her, caressing her cheek with his fingers. He continued doing this for a minute or two, kissing the top of her head every so often. "Now let us get some well-deserved rest. We have a long day ahead of us," he said, finally breaking the silence. He rolled off of her to lie on his side next to her, pulling her close to him.

The Miqo'te hummed softly in agreement, nestling herself up against his chest. Within a few minutes, her breathing slowed to a deep rhythm and she slipped into a peaceful slumber.

"Thank you for showing me love of an intensity I have never known before," G'raha whispered, closing his eyes. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and this time he could not tell if they were from joy or sorrow. _I'm sorry, Yuki. I'm sorry for concealing the full truth from you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my first attempt at writing a sex scene, so I hope you enjoyed reading! Chapter 2 will be coming relatively soon. Please remember to leave a review! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This chapter is somewhat of a recap of "Extinguishing the Last Light" and "The Unbroken Thread," but I thought it necessary to include given Yuki's newfound relationship with the Exarch and how that might affect her reactions to things. It also serves as the "glue" between Chapter 1 and the upcoming chapter. Enjoy! :)

It felt like someone was stabbing her over and over again without ceasing. As the vision from the past faded from her mind's eye, Yuki fought to keep herself from collapsing to the ground. Her body swayed to and fro like that of a drunkard, and she clutched at her head as though that would bring an end to the excruciating headache she was experiencing. Blinding white Light consumed her entire body, threatening to pierce through her like a lance from within.

"Are you alright? Say something!" Alisaie's voice came to Yuki muffled, drowned out by the loud crackling of raw energy.

"Twelve forfend, she cannot contain the Light. She's beginning to turn!" Y'shtola observed in horror, "Urianger! If you've aught up your sleeve, now is the time!"

Urianger remained silent, a grim expression on his face.

"It's changing back!" Ryne cried out. Sure enough, the heavens above had become distorted, a mesh of golden Light washing over them until the night sky was completely hidden from view.

The Miqo'te continued to writhe in sheer agony, each pulsation of Light like a dagger tearing through her flesh. Her legs finally gave out from underneath her and she fell to her knees. One arm supporting her weight was all that prevented her from collapsing to the ground face-first. _Is this truly it?_ she wondered, _Am I going to turn?_

Just then, a figure approached them and an all-too-familiar voice rang out, "The combined power of every Lightwarden is too terrible a burden for any one soul to bear. And so I shall relieve you of it."

_G'raha?!_

Yuki lifted her gaze to him. Although the edges of her vision were stained with white Light, she could still discern the Exarch's figure standing in front of her. "Exarch? What are you doing?!" she managed to call out in a hoarse voice. In spite of her immense pain, the Miqo'te still succeeded in concealing his true identity from the others.

G'raha smiled, "Something I've been meaning to do for a very long time." With that, he thrust his staff forward, and an orb of bright energy appeared between them. The orb then expanded into a magic dome surrounding the two of them, isolating them from the others. The same Light that engulfed Yuki suddenly appeared around the Exarch.

_He can't seriously mean to-_

"At journey's end, an opportunistic thief makes off with the hero's prize," G'raha continued, interrupting Yuki's train of thought, "A paltry way to end a chapter, I must concede. Yet your tale will continue, and my role in it will scarcely be remembered."

The Miqo'te's eyes welled up with tears, and a pain clawed at her chest that she knew wasn't caused by the Light. "Don't do this, Exarch! There must be another way!" she cried out in desperation. She reached out towards him with her free hand as far as she could possibly manage, a futile attempt to close the gap between them and thereby stop him.

The Exarch shook his head, "My purpose is merely to usher forth a better tomorrow, a tomorrow that must needs have you in it."

"But what of _us?!"_ Yuki blurted out. Tears were now streaming down her face. "I'm tired of the people I love sacrificing themselves for my sake!" Images of a certain silver-haired knight and the smile he gave her in his final moments flashed before her mind's eye. _I can't - nay, I won't - ever let that happen again._

"Yuki..." the Exarch began. For a split second, his smile faltered, but he was quick to cover it up. "Thank you for the times we've shared together. They mean more to me than you can possibly imagine." He thrust his staff forward once more, causing a brief flash of blinding light. This resulted in a powerful gust of wind that knocked the hood off and away from his face.

Yuki beheld her lover's features once more in their entirety, and she took the opportunity to burn the image of him standing before her into her memory. His eyes gleamed with that same mixture of affection and earnestness, although this time there was an element of sorrow, too.

"I love you, Yuki. Never forget that."

Suddenly, a shot rang out. The Exarch's staff hit the floor with a loud _clang,_ and the magic dome surrounding them dissipated. G'raha staggered forward and collapsed onto the ground.

 _"No!"_ Yuki shrieked. She jerked her body forward in an attempt to rush to the Exarch's side, but a fresh assault of Light stabbed at her insides, stopping her.

The culprit lowered his pistol, revealing his identity. A man with a single streak of white amid an otherwise full head of dark hair stared back at her, the usual bored expression plastered across his features.

_Emet-Selch._

"Only those who possess the Royal Eye of the Allagan imperial line are capable of controlling the Crystal Tower. Such individuals do not exist in the First," the Ascian soliloquized, "Therefore, in all likelihood, the Exarch arrived here with the tower. This much I had surmised, yet I could not discern his grand scheme. To think that he went through all this trouble for the sake of a single hero. It's almost admirable in its absurdity."

 _"Shut up!"_ Yuki shouted, "He was going to sacrifice his _life_ to save me. How dare you deprive him of that final wish!"

Emet-Selch scoffed at her, "Why should I care about the so-called 'wish' of someone whose very existence is a joke? Your kind is nothing but a disease upon this star. I'm surprised I haven't just slaughtered you all by now."

Every fiber of the Miqo'te's being screamed at her to charge forward and kill the Ascian right then and there. Alas, the agony she was experiencing kept her chained to the ground.

"What a disappointment you turned out to be. I placed my faith in you. Let myself believe that you could contain the Light," the Ascian said woefully, stepping closer to Yuki, "But look at you now, halfway to becoming a monster. You are unworthy of my patronage." He continued to approach the Miqo'te until he was only a yalm or two in front of her, and then knelt down to her level.

Yuki scowled at him. Her eyesight had worsened, her entire field of vision now frosted over with Light, yet she could still tell that the man in front of her was indeed Emet-Selch. "You're lucky I can't kill you right now," she threatened, ice dripping from her voice.

The Ascian gave a low chuckle, "Spoken like the true beast that you've become, possessing the sole desire to hunt and kill your prey. Bravo!" He clapped for her to punctuate his statement. He then rose to a standing position and turned to face the Exarch, "Now then, we can't have _him_ stealing my precious Light, can we?" With a snap of the Ascian's fingers, the Exarch vanished into thin air.

"Exarch!" Yuki cried, reaching out in the direction where he had just been.

Emet-Selch rolled his eyes, "Worry not, your friend is still alive," he assured her with a hint of annoyance, "I did not expect that I could learn aught from man, but I may yet learn something from all the knowledge he had hoarded for his precious hero." He turned his gaze to the Miqo'te once more as his body slowly lifted into the air. "I pity you, I do. So I'll tell you what - when it all becomes too much to bear, seek me out at my abode, in the dark depths of the Tempest. There, you may complete your descent into madness with some dignity, far from prying eyes. Till then, I bid you farewell...eater."

Before she could witness her foe make his grand exit, Yuki was seized by another assault of pain that shot through her skull, and this time she lost all control of her body. She hit the ground with a _thud,_ and the last thing she saw before everything went black was her friends rushing to her side.

• • •

Having awoken from her bout of unconsciousness not too long ago, the Miqo'te now stood at the base of the steps leading up to the Ocular. She slowly lifted her gaze to the azure spires of the Crystal Tower, taking them in in all of their shining magnificence. _To think that this is where I said goodbye to G'raha all those moons ago,_ she reflected, _I wonder if he ever dreamt of me..._ Yuki quickly shook the thought away. _No, Yuki. As fond as he is of you, don't be so selfish as to focus on that when there are far more pressing matters at hand._

She opened her hand to look down at the golden key Lyna had entrusted her with, and Feo Ul's words from just a few hours ago danced through her mind:

_"Our [friend] of crystal._

_From shadowed hood he watched you go,_

_His ruby eyes with warmth aglow._

_See yourself as he saw you,_

_And that shall be the clearest clue."_

"'See yourself as he saw you,' huh?" Yuki repeated to herself quietly. The words brought a smile to her face as she recalled the times the Exarch's eyes had shined at her with affection, even when he faced death. "Hydaelyn, I don't know for what purpose You've decided to spare him, but thank you." With that, her hand closed around the key once more and she swiftly ascended the stairs.

The guard nodded to her and led her inside.

Once inside the Ocular, the white-haired Miqo'te made her way over to the large, double oak doors leading to the Umbilicus. She inserted the key into the lock, but froze before turning it. All of her confidence from earlier suddenly vanished. _Now that I think about it, there's so much I don't know about the Exarch,_ she realized, _What kinds of dark secrets does he have hidden behind these doors, that even Lyna was forbidden from accessing them?_ She shuddered as an image flashed through her mind of the Exarch suspended in midair by a network of tubes and wires, his very heartbeat fueling the tower. The thought was similar to some of the horrors she had witnessed of the Garleans' "experiments." 

Yuki took a deep breath. _No. Whatever it might be, he wants me to see it._ With a newfound determination, she turned the key and pushed the door open.

The Miqo'te was greeted by the sight of dozens upon dozens of tomes stacked on top of one another, clustered together in large piles on the floor, and strewn haphazardly throughout the room. _Looks like someone could use a hand from Moren,_ she thought, grinning to herself. Her eyes continued to scan the room until she spotted a strange blue orb embedded in the wall opposite her. The orb seemed to be held in place by a pair of golden beams, and it sat atop what looked like decorative golden stairs. It was like a small altar. But before she could try to figure out what its purpose was, Yuki was seized by a sudden flashback.

• • •

_"A moment to collect my thoughts, I prithee..." Urianger requested, "Thy true name is G'raha Tia, then. By thy claims, thou too art a native of the Source, though from an age beyond our own, when the Eighth Umbral Calamity hath visited devastation upon our star. Thou hast, by subtle means, reached across the boundaries of time and space to unsow the seeds of catastrophe, ere its creeping vines drag our champion unto an early grave..."_

_The Crystal Exarch nodded, "In essence, yes. A difficult story to swallow, I am sure..."_

_Urianger sighed and allowed his head to sink into the palm of one hand, "I doubt not the veracity of thy words - not the account of thy coming, nor that of the fated Calamity. Yet my mind straineth still to apprehend the enormity of this tale. Wouldst thou favor me with a gradual unfolding of its chapters?"_

_"Certainly," the Exarch replied, and he jumped into a rather detailed description of the doomed version of the Source from which he hailed, the ingenuity of Cid Garlond and his colleagues, and the plan to traverse time and space which they fabricated._

_"...An undertaking of scarce credible endurance," Urianger mused, "That thou hast kept thy plan from falling into disarray these many years bordereth on the miraculous. Yet howsoever history be rewritten, thy present self was shaped by events which followed the Calamity. Should said catastrophe be averted, the very skein of thy existence will unravel. Surely thou hast foreseen this..."_

_The Exarch simply smiled, "I am aware of the consequences. 'Tis for that very reason Cid and his colleagues bequeathed their legacy as an offering...and not an edict," He then closed his eyes, "To give all of oneself for the happiness of others, and with no promise of reward? 'Tis a hard thing to ask. Harder still for those condemned to survive in a world which pitted brother against brother. Indeed, you were right to call the execution of this plan 'miraculous' - though the force which held it together was nothing so inexplicable. It was her. The Warrior of Light has been our unbroken thread."_

• • •

There was more to the flashback, of course. The Exarch sang praises about Yuki - how her legacy had been a beacon of hope to the survivors of the Calamity, and how he was the bearer of their collective wish to see her live again. The Exarch had then divulged his plan to Urianger, detailing how he would sacrifice himself to relieve Yuki of the Lightwardens' corrupted aether, and begged Urianger to keep his identity and plan a secret. 

The Exarch's final words from the flashback resounded through the Miqo'te's mind:

_"History remembered the Warrior of Light, as I knew it would. And I will suffer no other to rescue the champion whose star has charted my course. I will see this tale to a happy end, my friend. There has been enough tragedy."_

Tears spilled from Yuki's eyes and down her cheeks. _So that was "the full extent of his plans," huh? Well I'm not deserving of such kindness, no matter how much he insists that I am._ It dawned on her that the intimacy they had shared back in Kholusia had been him indulging in one last bit of what he would call "selfishness," though she saw it instead as the Exarch being his own self for once - being G'raha Tia - instead of carrying the burden of an entire city on his shoulders as he constantly did. _And even after miraculously escaping death, he'll still be taken away from me. It's as Urianger said: he'll simply cease to exist!_ She began to sob in earnest, sinking to the floor and burying her face in her hands. _What's the point? What's the point of rescuing him when he's doomed to just...vanish anyway?_

"Careful, now," came a male voice from behind her, "If you lose control again, the Light could claim you for good."

Yuki turned around to behold Ardbert standing - or, rather, floating - next to her. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she wiped her tears away with gloved hands.

Ardbert sighed, but with a smile on his face, "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

The Miqo'te instantly became flustered, her cheeks turning crimson, "W-what?! I-I don't know what you're talking about..." she stammered.

Ardbert gave her an incredulous look, crossing his arms, "Come on, now. I've seen the way you two have been around each other as of late. You can't fool me."

Yuki sighed and glanced away from him, "Yes," she admitted quietly. Then, she turned her gaze to meet his once more and spoke in a louder tone, "Yes, I'm in love with him."

Ardbert's smile widened, "Then what are you waiting for, hero? You have an Archon to save!"

"If only it were as simple as that..." she began, frowning, "You see, he's from a different timeline. I know because I saw it in a vision just now. Preventing the Eighth Umbral Calamity will rewrite history - the history that shaped who he is today - and in my so doing, he will cease to exist."

The man appeared thoughtful, "If there's anything I've learned in the hundred or so years that I've wandered this realm, it's that nothing is ever set in stone. You would think someone like me would be some sort of sage by now, but the fact remains that the ways in which life unfolds never cease to astonish me. After all, who would've imagined that my soul would live on to play a role in your life? I was supposed to have died along with my comrades back during the Flood. But here I am now, and here you are. The Exarch might die tomorrow, or he may live to see another century. But one thing is for certain - he's alive right now, and you can continue to make a difference in his life, and in the lives of all who call Norvrandt home. So what say you? Will you carry on?"

A grin slowly crept across Yuki's face, "I guess you're right," she admitted, and she stood up to face Ardbert in her full stature, "Thank you, Ardbert. Let's do this." To emphasize her meaning, she made a punching gesture by pounding the fist of one hand into the open palm of her other.

And with that, they left the Ocular to face the rest of the world.


End file.
